Reciprocity
by rhuobhe26
Summary: A visitor from the past come to talk with Mr. and Mrs. Kuno,*oneshot* *fixed error* R/R


Reciprocity  
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: Ranma ½ and all associated characters are Rumiko Takahashi's, in no way do I own them or claim to. I am merely borrowing them for a little entertainment.  
  
A/N: "speech" thought **flashback**  
  
  
  
The mansion loomed ahead, much like it always had. Ahead was why she had come back, ahead was the cause of her pain and hardship. The rain beat down on her soaking her head and hair, her body thankfully remained dry under her heavy coat. Approaching the gates she wrung the bell, which was shortly answered by a grumbling Kuno.  
  
"Excuse my delay, but my manservant is out right now and so it took me some time to respond. How may the noble Kuno assist you on such an atrocious night." He asked looking down on her head.  
  
The cloaked figure chuckled, "Still one for the flowery language, at least you've dropped the poetry." The cloaked figure looked up, her eyes looking into his. "Surely you'd invite an old friend in to reminisce. This, " the woman gestured with her hand. "Isn't the best of locations."  
  
Kuno was stunned, "Of course, although I must tell you, we will not be able to renew our love. I am happily married to the once Nabiki Tendo and have learnt the joy of monogamy."  
  
"Bout time, and don't worry Kuno, I still don't love you so your wife has nothing to fear."  
  
The two walked to the house side by side. As they reached the door it was opened to reveal an attractive woman on the other side. "So who was that Kuno-baby?"  
  
"A mutual acquaintance of old my lovely wife." As the two stepped inside, the visitor came into the light.  
  
Nabiki gasped at the figure, "It can't be. It's been ten years now."  
  
"Oh but it is and it has Nabs, I came back for a visit. It's good to see you again, my sister."  
  
*********Ten years ago**********  
  
"Should any see why these two should not be joined in holy matrimony speak now or forever hold your peace." The couple stared lovingly at each other. Hearing no objections the priest continued, "I now pronounce you husband and.." Kuno burst through the dojo's doors.  
  
"Wait I can not allow this travesty to continue." At the intruder's words Ranma stood protectively in front of his bride. "Go away Kuno."  
  
"Nay, Mr. Tendo you should have a look at this before you continue to allow this disgrace." The young samurai walked over to the Tendo patriarch, several papers in his hands. Looking over the papers Soun's face darkened considerably.  
  
In a voice as cold as ice he stated, "The wedding is over and the engagement is broken."  
  
"Why daddy?" Akane yelled from Ranma's arms.  
  
"Simple, your fiancé is burakumin, that's why." At Soun's statement everyone took a step back from the three Saotomes.  
  
Everyone but Akane who pulled her fiancé closer and whispered, "I don't care, I love him." Soun stormed over to them, forcefully separating the couple and stepping between them. Her sisters held Akane back, while Ranma's parents held him, while the ex-fiancées were struggling to get back to each other.  
  
"Saotome, why didn't you tell me?" Soun demanded.  
  
"Don't blame him Soun, he didn't know, his side of the family is fine, it is my side which is tainted." Everyone, including the shocked Ranma stared in shock at Nodoka's admission. "I'm sorry son, I didn't want it to ruin your life as it had so many others." Commotion ensued as the Saotomes made their exit/  
  
*********Present*********  
  
"I remember, a week later we learned that Mr. Saotome disowned Ranma and divorced Nodoka, removing they're names from the family roster. A week later the pair committed Seppuku." Nabiki finished the story for Akane.  
  
"I never did understand why you left afterwards fair Akane Tendo, with the cur Saotome dead you were free."  
  
Akane chuckled at the memory of why Kuno thought she had been in love with the man known as Ranma Saotome. "The name is Akane Himura now, I took my husband's name at our wedding. As for why I left, well there were just too many painful memories and my love for Ranma was hurting me."  
  
"But surely with the sorcerer's death the spell was released holding you to him." This time rather then chuckle Akane shot an angry glare at him. " Ranma Saotome never needed a spell for my heart, he was the best of men and he never once did something dishonourable. His bloodline shouldn't of mattered, but the moment everyone learned of it they turned on him like he was some kind of monster, That's another reason as to why I left there was no honour left here." Nabiki shivered at her sister's tone. "So what happened after I left?" "Well the Amazon trio left about the same time you did. It's funny actually, they were so bent on honour and tradition, but when it's not their tradition they believe it to be senseless. With Ranma dead they had no reason to stay so they left. Ukyo also left, her father took her back with open arms and apologies for engaging her to a burakumin, and she ended up marrying Konatsu. Kasumi and Dr. Tofu married but died a year ago in a car accident. Poor daddy was heartbroken." Akane shed tears to match Nabiki's own.  
  
"I know I read about it in the newspaper, a terrible accident, I couldn't believe it, how's daddy doing?" She asked trying to redirect the discussion to something less painful.  
  
"Mr. Saotome moved back in with him and they began teaching again. He's been hoping for your return so that you can take over the dojo. Would you and maybe your husband consider it, he's so lonely now." Akane chuckled  
  
"I always wanted to take over the dojo." Her face took on a tired expression. "I'm tired of moving around, maybe it's time for my husband and I settled down. I haven't had much time to spar or practice over the years."  
  
"I'd have thought you would practice with your husband. I always thought if you were going to marry a man he'd have to be a martial artist."  
  
Akane smiled sadly "No nabs, the only martial artist I'd ever marry was Ranma." Nabiki decided to move to a happier topic.  
  
"I'm interested in meeting your husband. I want to see what kind of man could win your heart without martial arts." Akane's smile grew at the mention of this.  
  
"Oh you don't have to worry about that he's coming here to meet you as well." She giggled, "He's a huge sentimental softy, he told me, 'I want to talk to the man responsible for bringing you to me in this way.' He says that without Kuno here I'd never of married him and become Akane Himura and he'd never of truly been happy. He thinks he owes you for destroying my wedding and he wants to personally thank you." Kuno smiled at his 'sister- in-law'  
  
"It was nothing I look forwards to meeting your husband."  
  
"I must say Akane, You do seem happier then I've ever known you."  
  
"Ah well you have my husband to thank for that. By the way, you never did tell me how you two got together." Akane questioned looking from Nabiki to Kuno and back to Nabiki.  
  
"Well after you left, Kuno was so distraught over the loss of his two loves he fell into deep depression and I was able to pull him out of it. Since I was never a martial artist he never tried the whole 'defeat me to date me' junk that he did with you and Ranma. We got married a few years ago."  
  
Akane smiled as she stood up from her chair and stretched. She took a few steps away from the chair and then stopped, turning to face the couple. "This was a lovely break, I really enjoyed talking to you. My husband would like to thank you in his own way and have a little talk with you nabs." She leaned back against thin air, but seemed to be supported by something. A pair of arms came out of nowhere to encircle her waste as she leaned back into a muscular chest. A ferocious gleam came to her eyes as she looked upon the startled Kunos.  
  
"Allow me to introduce my husband, Ranma Himura." The man raised his head, his cold blue eyes staring into Kuno and Nabiki's very souls.  
  
"Impossible, your dead." Nabiki blurted out  
  
"No Ranma Saotome is dead I am Ranma Himura, Saotome was killed by your and others actions ten years ago. He never did anything to you that was dishonourable. You Nabiki used him, the reason he never said anything was because he knew at least part of it was to pay for living expenses." He switched his gaze to Kuno. "You, I could almost forgive because of the insanity that had plagued you, but that does not seem to be the case now. Know this and make no mistake about it, both of you are going to die." In response to his words Nabiki reached into part of her, which was the ice- queen, her very own soul of ice to calm down.  
  
There's got to be some way out of this she thought to herself. "Please Ranma, give us another chance." Akane was the one who responded though.  
  
"You had your chance sister. Besides Kuno's life is in Ranma's hands, your life is in mine not his. Just like Kasumi and Tofu, eh, love?" She asked running her hand down her husband's cheek. "Of course it was too bad for them though. Of all the people I'd have expected Kasumi to be forgiving and understanding of us. Oh well I guess you never really can know people."  
  
"What?" Nabiki's voice was hoarse as she asked her question. "They died in an accident."  
  
"I guess we should explain it to them eh Ranma?"  
  
"I could never refuse you anything you know that, my wife, you just have to ask." Akane turned her head and kissed Ranma on the lips, he passionately returned it. Nabiki tensed her muscles and jumped up from the chair at the sight of them distracted. She returned to the chair a second later with a small dart in her chest. Having seen the dart fly from Akane's hand, Kuno jumped up with a bellow of rage, only to be knocked down by a dart from Ranma's outstretched hand. "Excuse us, we were having a special moment, please give us a moment." Ranma's cold voice chided them. "Now where were to begin, ah, after the wedding, well as you know pops disowned me and divorced mom. I snuck into Akane's room every night that week and talked with her."  
  
"We did more then just talk Ranma." Akane corrected flashing a predatory grin, Ranma grinned blushing ever so slightly.  
  
"Well I guess you could say that, but anyway. We decided to go away and live our own lives. Mom and I faked our deaths."  
  
"We saw the bodies, it was you, you were dead!" Ranma chuckled at Nabiki's outburst.  
  
"Yeah who'd have known that the old ghoul was such a great taxidermist, oh don't worry, they were both very bad people. Well I took mom's family name for my own since I couldn't exactly go back on the Saotome roster, and it's even harder being a ronin then it is a burakumin. Mom's parents were very understanding. A few promises and oaths with the Amazons and Akane married me, we both became honorary amazons with permission to travel the world." Nabiki interrupted him with her next statement.  
  
"Akane said she'd never marry a martial artist and you're a martial artist."  
  
"That's true, while we both know martial arts when we came to realize how hated we were for being burakumin we decided to leave the code of the martial artist behind."  
  
"But he's the burakumin not you." Nabiki was practically yelling at the two.  
  
"Interesting thing that, after a little investigation by Cologne it turns out Akane and I are more or less soul mates. We're perfect matches in blood and that stuff, so we did a little transfusion. Our bodies were each drained of half our blood and then received the other's blood into our bloodstream. Amazing what people as seemingly primitive as the Amazons can do. So we both have burakumin blood flowing through us. Funny thing is it had a few side effects with our chi and such, but that's not important. I trained Akane and so she's as good as me now. Now we take care of other people's problems for them." The way he said this so cheerfully yet matter of factly, it almost made Nabiki miss the implications.  
  
"And what about Kasumi?" She asked weakly, "Was she someone's problem?"  
  
"Well despite our new found happiness we were actually very happy with our previous lives so we decided to take our own revenge. Kasumi and her husband had no sympathy or remorse for what happened to Akane and me so they died. Ukyo was actually sorry for us and felt bad for what happened even though she wasn't responsible for anything, so she lived. Now we're off to see our dads once we're done her. Well let's get started love." He moved in front of Kuno after detaching from Akane's arms. "Like I said Kuno as a way of thanks, I'm not going to make you suffer, any last words?" Kuno turned his eyes to his wife.  
  
"I love you."  
  
"I love you too." She replied. Ranma nodded, put his hands on Kuno's chest, he reached into Kuno with his chi, feeling Kuno's heart out. When he found it he clenched down, not allowing it to beat for almost a minute. Removing his hand he reached down and closed his old rival/suitor's eyes.  
  
"Poor guy, died of a heart attack, so young as well, what a tragedy. Akane, what happened to his wife?" He asked turning to his own wife.  
  
"Unfortunately she saw the state of her husband and it caused a brain aneurysm, a thankfully quick and painless death, ne?" She asked removing her hands from her sister's cheeks and giving her a quick kiss on the forehead.  
  
"Were you serious when you mentioned settling down?" he asked, bringing her into a warm embrace.  
  
"Yes Ranma, I don't mean we should stop doing what we do, the money's good and it's fun traveling, but a home might do us some good, you're a pretty good teacher so there's always the dojo. We always wanted to do that when we were younger. I also think it would be nice if our child had a nice home. Somewhere a grandmother could come visit."  
  
"A Child?" His wife nodded.  
  
"Our Child."  
  
"If it's a boy what say we name it after one of our fathers?"  
  
"Sounds like a great idea, and if it's a girl how about after one of my sisters?"  
  
"Great Idea." The couple stared at each other, each looking deep into the others eyes for a few moments before Ranma cracked. Akane broke and joined him a few seconds later laughing her head off. The only thing that kept the floor from falling to the ground and rolling around was the other's support.  
  
"Ahh, that was a good Ranma, now, let's go visit our fathers." He flashed her an evil grin.  
  
"Yes I'm sure they'll love to see you and me." The two walked away holding each other underneath a shared cloak, leaving the now silent mansion behind them as they continued on into the darkness.  
  
  
  
  
  
Author's notes: Well what do you think, I know the characters were all somewhat OOC, but it just seemed to fit together like this. Let me know what you thought. I'd rather have constructive criticism and not flames though.  
  
I originally meant this story as a one shot, but I am considering writing a prequel and/or a sequel depending on what people think of this fic.  
  
OOPs, I made a mistake when I put it on that made it a bit more gruesome. I originally had,. "When he found it he clenched down, not allowing it to beat for almost a minute. Removing his hand he reached down and removed his old rival/suitor's eyes." Needless to say it was an accident and I used the wrong word, so I replaced it with closed. Gomen for the mistake, I'm not sick, just disturbed. 


End file.
